d_claude_bear

Our US passports expire next March, and I have seen info suggesting we should send them in with a renewal application about 9 months ahead of expiration. If we did that, would the new passports expire sooner because we requested renewal early, or would they expire 10 years from the present March, 2014 date?

Patty

They expire 10 years from the date the new passport is issued. The old passport's expiration date doesn't have anything to do with it.

schmerl

Travel to certain countries requires your passport be valid for at least six months from the time you travel. It really is a rip off because we lose six months of our valid passport. If you don't plan to do any traveling, then wait to renew your passport.

J62

Agreed. Unless you plan to travel you can wait. It only takes a few weeks normal processing time to get a new passport.

Rich

With the sequester nonsense going on right now, I would not wait . .

sludick

We just got our passport renewals. That 4-6 weeks was pretty accurate. So, I wouldn't want to wait until a couple months before renewing. Although the price HAS gone up, it's not so much that it's a real concern. Shoot for a few months in advance.

J62

Nonsense. They have no immediate plans to travel anywhere, and "sequester nonsense" is fear mongering, not facts.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/pro...sing_1740.html

ROUTINE SERVICE
As of ( Tuesday July 16, 2013 ), we are processing routine applications in approximately 4-6 weeks from the time of application.

EXPEDITED SERVICE
As of ( Tuesday July 16, 2013 ), we are processing requests for expedited service in about 2-3 weeks door-to-door, when overnight delivery is requested and paid for both ways (to and from the passport agency).

d_claude_bear

Thank you all. If the time-to-process stays as it is, it seems as if about two months prior to expiration will work for us, unless an unexpected foreign trip comes along.